Who is Viktor, the Machine Herald, from Arcane?

Is Viktor from Arcane the same one from League of Legends? Here is everything we know about him from the animated series.

WARNING: The article contains spoilers from Arcane Season 2!

Viktor from Arcane – Everything we know about him

Viktor was born and raised in the slums of Zaun, the lower portion of Piltover coated in the toxic smog known as the “Zaun Grey”. As for how old is Viktor in Arcane, he’s first seen as his late teens or early 20s. Arcane’s timeline is set as the origin story for the characters that can be found in League of Legends. This means Viktor is likely a decade (or more) older than when he appears on Arcane.

In the game, Viktor is already a hard believer of the Hextech technology, as his body is basically in full augment form. In season 1 in Arcane, however, he just seems to have started exploring his journey with the Hextech augments.

Image Credits | Riot Games

Viktor was first introduced when Jayce was investigating the break-in done by Powder, Violet, and their gang. Being an assistant and researcher from Piltover, he slowly started getting more into the Hextech research Jayce was working on, which ultimately helped him make a breakthrough. His love for it become so big that it pushed him to break the rules. Driven by the ambition of finding the secrets behind Hextech, Viktor ended up damaging his health and collapsing at work but was unable to learn more about the interaction between biological matter and technology.

Having defied the Dean of the Piltover Academy, Heimerdinger, earlier on, and threatened by him to destroy the Hextech Core, Viktor ends up turning to Singed, the mad scientist rejected by Piltover.

Image Credits | Netflix

Why is Viktor sick in Arcane? What disease does he have?

Viktor suffers from a disease that has plagued him since childhood. While the show doesn’t name the illness, it appears to make his body more and more weaker, making him reliant on Hextech augments to keep functioning. He’s desperate to find a cure for it, which fueled his obsession with technology.

Does Viktor die in Arcane?

Viktor’s experiments led to him becoming a Hexcore hybrid being, which is why his friend and colleague Jayce (sworn to destroy the Hexcore) killed him in the final moments of Arcane season 2 Act 2. He survived that attack, but after the clash with Jayce in the season finale, it remains a mystery if they both died. There’s a theory that suggests that Jayce and Viktor were sent to another timeline, but it remains for us to wait and see.

Viktor vs Ekko fight (Image credit: Arcane)

How tall is Viktor in Arcane?

Viktor stands around 5’9″ (175 cm) in Arcane. However, his posture and bad health often make him appear shorter.

Who voices Viktor in Arcane?

Viktor’s voice in Arcane is Harry Lloyd, an English actor known for his role as Viserys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.

Is Viktor a villain in Arcane?

In Arcane, Viktor is portrayed as an ambitious but well-meaning scientist who wants to improve lives through technology. However, his choices push him further into moral ambiguity. The show followed his in-game lore, so we see Viktor and Jayce’s partnership collapsing, turning them into bitter enemies, which led Viktor becoming the perfect villain in future episodes.

Viktor heals the sick, season 2 episode 2 (Image credit: Arcane)

What was Viktor trying to do in Arcane?

Viktor’s primary goal in Arcane was to harness Hextech to revolutionize medicine and technology. He believed that integrating magic with machinery could cure diseases, including his own. Viktor is dedicated to helping the people of the Undercity, but when his body grows worse and he believes that he might be forgotten in the passage of time, he uses Shimmer to enhance his body’s strength to test his connection with the Hexcore to try and enhance his lifespan. But once his assistant Sky Young dies, he gains an immense sense of guilt since he is the reason she had died.

(Image credit: Arcane)

After his death, and once revived by the Hexcore and Jayce, he becomes a saint-like figure in the undercity with a constant calmness over his actions. Later on, when he his killed by Jayce, he wants to unite everyone under a “Glorious Evolution”.

What does Viktor become in Arcane?

When Viktor emerges from the Hexcore cocoon, his body is transformed into a machine-like form. The Hextech combined the mechanical properties with Viktor’s orgranic material, slowly making him become the Machine Herald.

Viktor in League of Legends

Becoming the Machine Herald (Image credit: Arcane)

First released in December 2011, Viktor has been a constant presence in the game. Usually played as a mid lane mage, he has been a popular champion in both normal and professional play.

In the game, Vitkor is wielding the Hex Core, the crystal that empowers his abilities. While it used to be an item that would upgrade upon hitting certain milestones, the Hex Core is now part of his passive ability.

According to Viktor’s lore,  he “defeated Jayce and stole a powerful arcane crystal to power his creations. Jayce later created the Mercury Hammer and counter-assaulted Viktor’s lab.” We might be able to see such a scenario later in the series, as Viktor and Jayce are set to go from being allies to each other’s greatest enemies. Having said that, it’s not certain that we will be able to see it happening in the upcoming Arcane season 2.

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